Ruth denies counter claim of jeweler accused of default in Super Bowl ring loan

Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth has dismissed a counter claim filed by jeweler being sued for allegedly defaulting on various loans.

Berco Industrial, Dana McGhee and Richard “Ed” Schuetz sued Joseph Lordo in March claiming Lordo convinced them to lend tens of thousands of dollars because he claimed to have landed a contract to make Super Bowl rings.

“In order to induce the plaintiff into making a loan, the defendant falsely and fraudulently represented to the plaintiff he had entered into a contract with the St. Louis Rams football team to provide Super Bowl rings to them and the St. Louis Rams football team had a contract with the defendant which they were obliged to purchase the Super Bowl rings from the defendant,” according to the complaint.

The suit claims Berco lent Lordo $44,355 on Dec. 22, 2010, McGhee lent $10,000 on Oct. 1, 2010, and Schuetz lent him $50,000 on Feb. 1, 2011.

In addition to the money they claim they are owed, the plaintiffs seek punitive damages of $250,000, interest, attorney’s fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.

They are being represented by Robert S. Forbes of Alton.

Lordo, represented by John Gilbert, alleged in a counter claim that he is owed amounts totaling more than $46,000 from the plaintiffs, plus an undetermined amount for jewelry from Berco.

The plaintiffs answered that Lordo's counter claim purported to allege four separate claims against three separate individuals, for which separate recoveries are alleged, and included all claims in a single count, in violation Illinois Code of Civil Procedure.

In his Aug. 8 order, Ruth granted Lordo leave to file an amended counter claim on or before Sept. 8.

 

Madison County Circuit Court case number 14-L-381.